Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-03-27
SECOND FLOOR,
A SPOOL OF THREAD.
What Cotton Goes Through BEFORE
IL Reaches the Needle.
From tie Washington Star.


From the Washington Star.
Few people ever stop to think of the
twistings and turnings and the various
processes that cotton fibre goes through
after it is taken from the pod before it lie
wound UP on a spool and ready for the
housewives needle. The whole story is
told, however, In a small space In one OF
the cases IN the hall in the National Mu-
scum gwen up to an exhibition of textile
fabrics. This is one OF the many
object lessons in the museum, which,
combined, are intended to tell the story
OF man as he exists on the earth.
First is shown a specimen of cotton In
the pod just as 1t Is picked, without hav-
ing the seeds removed. Next 10 shown a
specimen OF the same cotton after ii has
been ginned and the black seeds have
been removed. The sea island cotton is
used for thread on account of the length
Of the fibre. A sample Of the sacklng in
which the cotton is baled is also shown.
Then the cotton is supposed TO have been
haled and shipped to the thread factory.
Here the first thing that is done with the
cotton is to subject 1t to the "picksr"
process, by which the cotton from sew
eral bales is mixed to secure uni
formity. During the picker process
much waste, in the form of dust,
dirt and short fibers, are separated from
the good fbres by the picker. Next the
"Dicked" cotton is wound on a
machine, in sheets or laps, into a roll.
The next process, illustrated by q practi-
cal exhibit, Is the carding by which the
sheets OF cotton are combed or run out
unto long parallel fbres. The cotton ia
next seen drawn through trumpet
shaped opening, which condenses it into
a single strand or ''slIver." Then eight
such slivers are run together into one,
six of the strands thus produced are
drawn into one, and again six OF the
strands from the last drawing are COM
bined into one. Then comes the slubbiDg
or fast Growing" process, which consists
OF winding the strand and bobbin. Two
strands are twisted and again wound on
q bobbin. After a number of other twist
ings and windings, during which the
strand is gradually reduced In size, until
1t begins to assume thread like appear
ance, two strands OF this fine "roving"
are run together and twisted, under
considerable tension, on q b0Dbin that
makes 1000 revolutions minute. Two
of the cords thus produced are then
wound together on spool, and then
twisted from that to another spool. The
two-cord thread thus produced is trans
ferred thence TO another spool, and then
three threads Of two cords each are
twisted together, forming six-cord
thread. One who has followed the process
sees the cotton gradually transformed
from a wide band or sheet OF loose cotton
to compact thread that will pass
through the eye OF needle. The six-cord
thread is at last taken from bobbin and
reeled into a skein, in which form it is
bleached or dyed. Then IL is wound back
upon the skein upon big spool. from
which IL Is supplied TO little white birch
spools from which 1t Is wound In regular
courses, and Is then ready for the market.
The machine that regulates the last wind
ing measures the number OF yards wound
on each spool. The spools are made of
various sizes to hold from 200 to 1900
yards OF thread. The labels that decorate
the end OF the spools when they are sold
are last put on. They are cut and pasted
on by machinery with great rspidity.